Dance, Dance
by rainbowsindecember
Summary: Rukawa is at a club and hating it until a girl from Mitsui's past surfaces. The three of them become embroiled in circumstances they never imagined.
1. Chapter 1: In The Club

**Chapter 1**

**In The Club  
**

* * *

"Buy you a drink, sexy?"

Rukawa Kaede scowled as the offer was shouted into his ear – intimate and intimidating at the same time. The man who was leering at Rukawa's pert buttocks perched on a bar stool immediately backed off, palms held up when Rukawa slid off his seat to his full height – almost a head and a half taller than the lecher.

From Rukawa's right, there was a hoot of catcalls. A boisterous redhead was laughing himself to death while his friends were propping him up to prevent him from falling flat to the ground.

Sakuragi Hanamichi was, Rukawa deduced, hopelessly drunk.

Mitsui Hisashi grinned as he gulped down a potent looking combination of alcohols, an arm draped casually over a pretty girl with dyed blonde hair, heavy makeup and skimpy clothes. The blue-haired boy burped before saying, "I didn't know you swung that way, Rukawa."

Rukawa rolled his eyes, wondering what had driven him to agree to come tonight. As far as he knew, RnB was definitely not his thing. Especially not when it was pounding through bad speakers in a smoky, seedy club where people acted like sex-starved monkeys.

A quick glance around found Miyagi Ryota snoring in a corner, already passed out. Sakuragi was still giggling to himself, jabbering to anyone who would listen to what a genius he was. Mitsui was downing another shot, cheered on by a couple of his thuggish-looking friends.

Maybe Mitsui, Sakuragi and Miyagi enjoyed this sort of scene, but Rukawa most certainly did not.

So why, Rukawa wondered for the countless time that night, why was he here?

Honestly, Rukawa had been curious. Curious to know what his more reckless peers all looked forward to after a big game, curious to know what the big fuss was all about. He had been sorely disappointed when the bouncer had waved him through without even asking for ID. There was nothing but bad music, overpriced booze and women stuffed into the shortest, tightest items of clothing they owned.

Rukawa's eyes drifted again to Mitsui who was indulging himself in a full-blown make out session with the aforementioned girl.

Girls. They were a conundrum Rukawa couldn't quite figure out. He was both repulsed and fascinated by the appeal they had over his team-mates. Sakuragi, with his crush on Akagi's little sister. Miyagi, and his long-standing admiration for Ayako.

Rukawa had even come across Akagi's copy of Playboy Japan peeking out from the center's duffel bag. Evidently, even the hard-nosed captain wasn't immune to the fairer sex.

Mitsui's hand was stroking the blonde's bare knee now. Rukawa's eyes widened as his senpai's hand trailed further upwards and disappeared under the girl's mini skirt. The girl's mouth fell open in a silent moan, her eyes shut as her head tilted backwards to allow Mitsui access to her slender neck. Rukawa swallowed at the charged display in front of him, suddenly feeling a rise in temperature.

"Not nice to stare, honey," a feminine voice chastised him, and slim fingers gently nudged his jaw shut. Rukawa hadn't even realised that it had fallen wide open.

Mitsui started at the murmur, smirking as he caught Rukawa's guilty expression. Then Mitsui's gaze fell on Rukawa's new companion and he blinked, all pretence of the macho gangster gone.

"Maiko." Mitsui's voice was subdued as he quickly withdrew from the blonde he was coiled with. He coughed nervously as he stood up to greet the petite creature who was gazing at him with amusement on her lips and hostility in her stare.

"Hello, Hisashi. Nice haircut." Her smile did not reach her eyes as she air-kissed the former MVP.

There was an awkward pause and Rukawa was taken aback when he realised that Mitsui was actually blushing a crimson shade.

_What on earth is up with these two?_

"Erm … So … Uhh … How have you been?"

Rukawa snorted at Mitsui's attempt at conversation. Girls were really something else. They reduced Mitsui's vocabulary to simple, single syllables.

Maiko shrugged. "Never better. As are you, I hope. Actually, I was about to ask your friend here to dance."

Rukawa was startled for a moment as a small hand wound into his, squeezing it once. He dropped his gaze to find the mysterious girl staring at him fiercely, willing him to read her brown eyes.

_Please. Say yes._

Mitsui barked a short laugh, opening his mouth to reply, "Rukawa doesn't dan–"

"Okay."

Mitsui's jaw was slack as Maiko led Rukawa to the dance floor, her hand still firmly holding his.

Rukawa immediately regretted his impulsive decision as they entered the throng of sweaty bodies. For starters, Mitsui was right when he said Rukawa didn't dance.

Maiko released his hand as she elbowed her way to a free spot and twirled around to face him, her feet tapping out a rhythm.

"Come on," she called as her body began to sway to the beat.

Rukawa cleared his throat; he was out of his element and well aware of it.

"I don't know how."

Maiko blinked a few times before allowing a lazy grin to cross her cherry-painted lips.

"You're cute. Here," she murmured, placing Rukawa's hands on her waist. She tossed back her shoulder-length hair, pushing it out of her brown eyes. "Follow my lead," she whispered, moving closer to Rukawa. He gulped.

This was the closest he had ever been with a girl.

"Relax. Nobody cares what you're doing. They're too busy worrying about how they look themselves." Maiko watched Rukawa's jerky movements with a sardonic smile that Rukawa did not like. Not one bit.

It screamed, _you stink at this._

Rukawa growled. He wasn't going to be defeated. Not by some tiny little thing with three-inch heels.

He thought back to what he was really good at: basketball. The elaborate footwork that was involved. Maybe he could use that instead.

Rukawa nimbly stepped around Maiko, following the throbbing bass step for step as he repositioned himself behind her.

He lowered his knees, keeping his hands on her waist as he pressed against her back.

_Defense__._

Rukawa began to match her swivelling hips; rivalling bump for bump, grind for grind. Can't let her go, or she'd make a fast break. Can't push too hard, or he'd be called for a foul.

They continued in that manner for a while until Maiko sighed, leaning back against Rukawa's chest.

"You're not half bad."

Her hands slid over his, still holding her sides respectfully. Maiko pulled them to cross over her stomach as they slowed their pace, gently swaying on the spot. Rukawa's fingers accidentally grazed the inch of bare flesh under her jade green silk top. Maiko shivered slightly. Rukawa felt himself hardening as Maiko's body trembled at the brief contact, his hand still resting on that bit of smooth skin.

_Shit. Shit, shit, shit._

Rukawa broke away from Maiko, panting and in a cold sweat. This only happened to him when he was asleep, dreaming things that made him cringe to recall in the morning. Or when he woke up for his morning piss. Maybe that one time the team was sleeping over at Mitsui's, and the third year had popped in the wrong DVD – instead of watching a replay of their rival's performance, there were sounds of passion and a very naked couple doing explicit things to each other. Mitsui had let out a horrified yelp and hurriedly pushed 'eject' amidst the nervous titters in the roomful of boys.

By Maiko's puzzled frown however, Rukawa guessed that she hadn't felt the swelling against her derrière. He sighed in relief.

"I'm tired," he said simply as explanation.

Maiko nodded. "Let's get out of here," she replied as she gently took hold of his hand again. Rukawa really wasn't used to being led but this time, he was thankful as Maiko navigated their route off the dance floor.

Sakuragi and Miyagi weren't there anymore; they had probably been dragged home as Rukawa and Maiko were dancing. Mitsui was nursing a glass of amber liquid alone. His eyes were slightly unfocused and his cheeks were flushed. Mitsui glanced up at the duo as they stopped by his seat.

"Sempai … You alright there?"

Mitsui ignored Rukawa's tentative inquiry as he attempted to stand, wobbling precariously on his feet. He took a small step forward and stumbled almost at once. He would have fallen flat on his face had Rukawa not intervened, darting forward to catch Mitsui's bulk.

Rukawa struggled with Mitsui's weight as he hauled the older boy out of the club and got Maiko to hail a cab. As Rukawa closed the door of the taxi, he realised that he couldn't remember where Mitsui lived.

"Where to, mister?"

Rukawa opened and closed his mouth, then slid his gaze behind him to the back seat. Maiko glared at his pale face.

"_No_, I don't know where he stays either. And he can't come back to mine," she ground out stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared out the window.

Rukawa groaned in exasperation and gave his address to the cab driver.

The journey to Rukawa's home was quiet, marked only by the sound of the radio and Mitsui's tossing and turning.

When they had reached their destination, Rukawa paid the man and then pulled Mitsui out of the car, Maiko helping with a none-too-gentle shove now and then. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of Rukawa's house.

"Fuck me. You're loaded."

Rukawa chose to disregard her crude yet wry remark as they made their way past the large double doors. Rukawa dismissed the sleepy maid who had awakened at the commotion, then on second thought, asked her to fetch some damp towels and a pitcher of water.

As Rukawa dropped Mitsui on the bed in the guest room, the latter groaned and promptly sat up. Maiko observed Mitsui's green face and commented, "He's going to throw up."

_Kuso._

Rukawa hurriedly supported Mitsui's frame as they rushed in the direction of the bathroom. Mitsui collapsed in front of the toilet bowl and began to vomit his alcohol intake for the night, plus his dinner thrown in. Maiko watched Mitsui's broad shoulders shake, Rukawa awkwardly patting the third year's back.

"I know you're there." It was the first sentence Mitsui had uttered since they had left the club.

Maiko did not respond as Mitsui flushed the toilet and stood up, wincing as his head pounded and his stomach churned. The blue-haired boy rinsed his mouth at the sink and splashed water over his reddened face before turning to meet Maiko's quiet watchfulness.

Mitsui took a step towards her and her gaze turned cagey. Mitsui paused. Rukawa stood at the sidelines, feeling like an intruder in his own home as Mitsui and Maiko stared at each other, neither making a move.

Mitsui broke the silence.

"Mai … For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Mitsui spoke softly, his eyes on Maiko's dark ones. He strode towards the bedroom, halting as he passed her at the doorway. "I really am."

Maiko still did not reply, but her face softened as Mitsui struggled to climb under the quilt. She perched on the edge of the bed, leaning close to Mitsui's ear as she whispered, "I forgive you."

Rukawa started to pour a glass of water from the jug his maid had left in the room. Maiko reached for a towel and gently dabbed at Mitsui's face as he weakly lay there. Mitsui caught her wrist.

Then he reached up to place a kiss on Maiko's pale pink lips, her red lipstick worn away throughout the night.

Rukawa felt his feet were getting cold. Glancing down, he realised he was still pouring water out of the pitcher and the glass was overflowing. When he looked up next, Maiko wasn't there and Mitsui was down for the count.

Rukawa placed the glass of water on the bedside table, in case Mitsui got thirsty. He shut the door behind him, cutting off the soft snores from Mitsui. Rukawa groped in the dark for the switch. The hallway flooded with light and he made out Maiko's figure heading towards the main door. In five long strides, Rukawa had caught up to her.

"Where are you going?"

"Home, of course," Maiko replied, her voice husky, and Rukawa become conscious that tears were drying on her face, her dark eyeliner smearing in a track down her cheeks.

"You can't. It's too late."

Maiko snorted. "I can take care of myself."

"It's too dangerous. Stay here tonight." Rukawa wondered why he even cared. Obviously, this girl and Mitsui had something going on – she wasn't up for grabs. Again, why did he care? He shut his eyes briefly before opening them again. "You can leave in the morning."

Maiko glanced towards to door and then at the guest room door before resting her brown eyes on Rukawa. He could tell that she was exhausted, and was definitely in no condition to return home alone.

"I'm not going to sleep with him."

Rukawa blinked at the strength behind her statement and mentally groaned. Where the hell was he supposed to put her then?

"You could sleep in my room." The words popped out of him almost of their own volition. Maiko looked at him with apprehension and Rukawa took off in the direction of his room, muttering over his shoulder, "I'll sleep on the floor."

As they climbed up the stairs, Rukawa leading the way, he was glad Maiko couldn't see that he was blushing.

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My first attempt at an OC, people! Please let me know what you think:) Interesting enough to continue, perhaps? Oh god, I am so shamelessly fishing for nice reviews.


	2. Chapter 2: This Is The Story Of A Girl

**Chapter 2**

**This Is The Story Of A Girl**

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Rukawa grimaced as he tugged off the smoke-filled clothes he was wearing – a dark blue dress shirt and beige slacks that Miyagi had insisted he put on. If Rukawa had his own way, he would have turned up in a jersey and sweat pants.

"And get thrown out on your face before you even get past the door," Sakuragi had hollered with laughter as the three had arrived at Rukawa's house to pick him up.

Mitsui had snickered quietly, patting his striped button-down with satisfaction. He had looked damn good that night and he knew it.

Trust a girl to bring a confident man to his knees.

Said girl was now in his bathroom. The sound of running water could be heard and Rukawa's face flamed as he started to imagine what she was doing inside. He cursed her and then cursed himself, violently pulling on a faded cotton shirt and shorts. Rukawa tossed his used clothes in a heap at the corner of the room, his nose wrinkling. He hated that smell.

Maiko reappeared then, freshly scrubbed, her small body wrapped in a large, fluffy towel. Her eyes were shy as she muttered, "I don't have any clothes to wear."

Rukawa picked out some of his smaller clothes for her and huffily threw them at her. She caught them with one hand, the other still clutching on to that damned towel. Maiko smiled in gratitude and disappeared back into the bathroom.

It was only then Rukawa dared to draw in a rattling breath.

Girls were all evil._ Evil._

How else could he explain the crazy effect she had on him? Two erections in one night. It was a record, thus far.

Rukawa roared with frustration, his face pressed into a pillow, muffling the sound. What the devil had gotten into him? He wasn't normally like this. He was Rukawa Kaede, for pity's sake. He was cool, calm, collecte–

"I'll sleep on the floor."

Maiko's voice shocked him and he recoiled with a startled grunt. Maiko was watching him with an amused grin, her raven hair damp. Rukawa blinked as he took in her face, stripped of its makeup. Her heavy use of black eyeliner and blood-red lipstick had morphed her into a vampire, but she had still been eerily attractive. Now though, she was striking in an elfin way, small and pointed.

Rukawa's gaze trailed further down and he shut his eyes. _Kami-sama_, she looked even better in his clothes than he did.

"You can't sleep on the floor. It's hard," Rukawa spoke harshly.

Maiko lifted an eyebrow. "Toss me a blanket and I'll be fine. Don't see you complaining, and it's your house. _You_ should be sleeping in bed."

Rukawa snarled. Why was she so damned stubborn?

"You. Bed. Now."

Maiko's lips twitched and she drawled, "Why, I didn't know that's what you had in mind. Should've warned me we were going to have mad, passionate sex when you asked me to stay."

Rukawa – there was no other word for it – sputtered.

Maiko giggled as she slid under the covers.

"I'm kidding, love. Sleep here with me. Your bed's large enough. You take one side, I'll take the other. Everyone's happy."

Rukawa reluctantly pulled the quilt over himself. It was strange to feel the bed sagging under two weights, and warmth radiating from an unfamiliar body.

Ten minutes later, Rukawa wished he had chosen the floor. He was still wide awake. He couldn't sleep. How was he supposed to fall asleep when Maiko was holding his hand?

And why in all stages of hell was he letting her?

"Can't sleep?" Maiko's voice suddenly pierced the silence.

Rukawa grunted.

"I can't either," Maiko confessed. She rolled on her side to face him. "You know, you haven't told me your name."

Rukawa's head turned to face her. "It's Rukawa. Rukawa Kaede," he replied stiffly as Maiko's thumb danced circles on his palm.

"Kaede? Pretty name. Almost as pretty as your face," Maiko murmured, her eyes mischievous. Rukawa cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I'm Maiko," she continued.

_Maiko. How apt. Dancing child._

Rukawa shrugged. "I figured as much when Mitsui said your name. Maiko…?"

Her eyes were frosty as she coolly replied, "Never you mind my last name. It's not important."

"So what's the deal with you and Mitsui?"

Rukawa berated himself when the question flew off his tongue. He turned away from her, aware that she had dropped his hand like a hot potato.

"I'm sorry. It's not my business, I know."

Quiet settled over the room. When Maiko finally spoke, her voice was soft. "How do you know Hisashi, Kaede?"

"We go to the same school. He's my basketball team-mate."

Maiko laughed, and it was a short, sharp sound. "No kidding? Hisashi plays basketball? Hang on – you said you're in the same school. How old are you exactly?"

Rukawa considered her question. "Sixteen."

"You can't be serious. I thought you were at least eighteen, maybe nineteen. You're awfully young, love," she said incredulously.

Rukawa shrugged his shoulders. Girls talked a lot. "How old are you then?"

There was silence again. Rukawa sighed. This was a girl who did not willingly share her personal details. Enigmatic. Secretive. Mysterious. Funny, he actually admired that about her.

Maiko shifted under the quilt. Her eyes glittered in the moonlight as she gazed at Rukawa.

"You asked me about Hisashi…"

Rukawa observed Maiko's slumped shoulders as she began to speak again.

"I met him almost a year ago. I was a sophomore then, same as him. He was hanging out with his friends – Tetsuo, Ryu, Hotta, all of them. I knew Ryu since we attended the same school. He was the one who introduced me to Mitsui Hisashi."

Maiko closed her eyes. "I thought he was … special. Tall, handsome and so cool with his long, blue-tinted hair. I could tell he wasn't really one of us. He was always so guarded. Always gazing off into space, like he was longing for something else, something other than our life. All we did was cause trouble, look for fights, get wasted."

"'I was sick of that life, too. We were two loners on the fringe of the group – me, the only girl; Hisashi, the closest thing the group had to a gentleman. I fell for him. Stupid me. Too young to know what real love was and mistook infatuation for it.'

'One night, I called him and told him to come over to my place. My parents were on a business trip and in my silly mind, I had it all set up. I was going to seduce Mitsui Hisashi that night. Get it? Girl falls for boy. Boy sleeps with girl. Boy falls in love with girl. And they lived happily ever after. The end.'"

Rukawa cleared his throat. "So you were lovers then?"

Maiko let out a short chuckle, but this time it was bitter.

"'If you call a one-night stand that. The next morning, Hisashi took out his wallet, peeled a couple of notes and handed them to me. Then he asked me if it was enough. If I usually charged more since I could afford to stay in such a nice place.'

'There I was, head-over-heels for the boy I'd just spent the night with, and he was treating me like a common whore.'

'I tore up the money he had casually tossed at me. Told him to go fuck himself. And told him to get the fuck out of my house.'"

Rukawa didn't know what had possessed him to do it, but his arm had slipped around Maiko's smaller frame halfway through her reminiscing. The uneasy grip he had on her was discomfiting, but she didn't seem to care as she huddled closer to him, her wet hair soaking into his thin cotton shirt.

"'I never saw him again after that. I never saw any of them, actually. I left it all. I went to classes, got good grades. I avoided Ryu, which wasn't difficult since he hardly showed up for school anyway. Still, I couldn't leave the late-night dancing behind. I enjoyed it too much, and that was where I bumped into Tetsuo.'

'He told me Hisashi had tried to leave the gang. Tried to do what I was doing – picking up the pieces of our squandering lives. Trying to forget the past we both shared. Ryu had tried to break Hisashi's fingers for that. Said Hisashi had messed up everything for the gang. Somehow, the whole story came tumbling out. Apparently, Ryu had suggested to Hisashi that I was nothing more than a cheap slut who got her kicks making money off her body. And Hisashi, fool him, believed Ryu's nasty stories about how I'd "serviced" the rest of the gang already.'

'Turns out Ryu was just jealous of Hisashi. Hisashi just dropped in one day, and that was that – everything seemed to come to that boy on a diamond-encrusted platter. Powerful, sexy, suave … Everything Ryu was not. It was Ryu's way of getting his own back.'

'I thought I'd put it all behind me … Then I had to go collide with Hisashi tonight. I may have forgiven him, but it's not that easy to forget how I used to feel. But at least I picked up something good along the way.'"

_Is she talking about me?_

Maiko breathed deeply and when she exhaled, she had bounced back into the impish creature Rukawa had first met. "That's my boring life story, Kaede. Satisfied?"

Rukawa kept quiet, not knowing what to say, not trusting what he might say if he tried. Maiko grinned before sobering again, "Still, I'd like to think Hisashi liked me well enough back then. And that his apology was sincere."

"Stupid boy … He never even figured out that I was a virgin that night," Maiko finished wistfully.

Rukawa's hold on her tightened and she smiled, drawing strength from his tentative offer of comfort. "You're a good listener, you know that, Kaede?"

Maybe it was the colour of her lips without her lipstick, all bubblegum pink. Maybe he was just sympathetic and didn't know how else to show it. Or maybe it was the way she breathed his name the way no one else did.

"_Kaede…"_

Rukawa kissed her.

It was an awkward fumble, his first kiss. Nothing more than the brush of lips against lips but it was enough to get him hard again. He kissed her again, and again, and again; never venturing beyond her lips.

Maiko sighed and gently pulled his face closer, her lips moving against his as she whispered, "You're too young for me, you know."

And then she kissed him back.

Open-mouthed.

Rukawa thought he would implode from the blood rushing within him.

* * *

AN:

I don't know just yet who Maiko should end up with. Suggestions?

To:

SlamDunk160: Aww, you're sweet. Thanks for being my first reviewer for this fic:)

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